Granby Select Board mulls farm animal complaint

Noiel Brill of Chicopee St. address the select board on Jan. 6 2014 about a farmer's cows wandering onto his propertyJim Russell

GRANBY – A homeowner near Stony Brook Valley Farm told the select board on Monday the ranch’s cows, sheep and hens have been running wild on his and neighboring property and he is tired of it.

Noiel Brill, of Chicopee Street, said he has complained repeatedly to the farmer, Patrick Benson, of Carver Street, to the town’s zoning and animal control officers, but nothing has been done. Brill also said that Benson told him that he is unable to properly secure fencing for the grazing cows because he rents that particular plot of land.

The select board said the town no longer has a fence viewer to address that aspect of the problem. Town administrator Chris Martin said he would review the matter with the animal and zoning officers. Benson did not attend the Jan. 6 meeting.

The animals have become “a traffic hazard, a public nuisance and a health hazard," Brill told the board. He also provided them a written complaint.

“The animals are running around our yards.”

Brill said that Benson has been good about retrieving the animals and apologetic, but this is the second year in a row the problem has festered.

Brill also said that with the recent cold weather, the cows have not been outside grazing and therefore have not roamed onto his yard, but said: “Last Thursday the sheep were running around my property again.” Calls placed to Benson on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

In an effort to inject some humor one board member said the sheep “could have been for the Christmas pastoral scene,” while another wondered if any camels were spotted.

In other business, the board met behind closed doors with the police chief to discuss “the issuance of a criminal complaint."

The board said the complaint did not involve any town employee, but did not provide additional information.